US2594920A - Vacuum printing frame - Google Patents

Description

April 9, 1952 B. R. HALPERN 2,594,920

VACUUM PRINTING FRAME Filed July 9, 1949 2 SHEETS-Si-EET 1 FIG.

INVENTOR. BERNARD R. HALPERN Ap 1952 B. R. HALPERN 2,594,920

VACUUM PRINTING FRAME 7 Filed July 9, 1949 2 Sl-lEETS-S'n'EET 2 294 FIG. 7. z

mmvrox L /U|BERNARD R. HALPERN a! a BY r TTORNEY l atented Apr. 29, 1952 VACUUM PRINTING FRAME Bernard-R'Halpern, New York, N. Y., assignor ,t'o Zarkin .Machine (10., 11%., Long Island City, N Y., a corporation of New York Applicaticniglulyiii; 1949, Serial No. 103,919

h e on h ein d closed relate twat um printing frames, and the'main objects of the invention are to provide in-adevice of this character, a light but strongrigid constructionand one in which the two mainparts,-theglass and blanket frames, will counter-balance each-other so as to avoid use of weight and spring counterbalance means.

Particularly it is a purposeof the invention to automatically counter-balance one frame bythe other while in processof relatively opening and closing the frames and additionally, to provide for rotation and reversibilityof thefraines.

Special objects of the invention areto; speed p he ope at ons of ope in and;,.o s ns r relatively separating and approachingthe lass-and blanket frames, to enable fullaecess to the-working areas of the frames and to accomplish these and otherpurposes in asimple, practical, low cost constructiQn.

Other desirable objects and the novel features through which the purposes of the inventionare attained are set forth or willappear in thecourse of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate certain present commercial embodiments of the invention but structure may be furthermodified and'changecl .asregards such illustration all within the true intent and broad'scope of the invention as; hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawings is; a;p1an view of one cf thevacuum frames;

vFig. 2 is a front elevation-of the same witha portion of the lower, blanket frame indicated in section; I

Fig. 3,.is aside or end view of the machine showing in broken lines the opened or separated frames andalso the two frames as rocked into a vertical position; v

a 3 Claims. (Cl. 95- 76) made'up of side bars or sills l8, secured by clamps [9 on the-top of a tubular supporting frameiz'il.

The pivotal supports for the frames are shown as bars Zi pivoted intermediate their. endsat 22, Figs. 1 2- and 3, on theside bars 18 of the .base

structuina, and the means'for connecting the frames in counter balancing relation-isshown as comprising in the first instance, {pairs of parallel links 23, 24, Figs. 4 and 5, at the oppositeend's of the frames, v pivotally. connected at: their upper ends at 25, 26, with the glassfra' me I I, and "pivotally connected at their lower endsYat'. 21,128, it th an e fra iarsaid links-being pivo ally supportedintermediate their ends ,at'iltil, on the opposite ends of thepivotedarms 2|,

The parallel linkagedescribedis sooon'nected that the frames [0 and II willfshiftfrom the superposed relation shown in Fig. 4, to .the ertically and laterally separated relation shown in Fig. 5, in movement'about the main pivotal axis '22 untilthey reach the fullyseparated, flat, horizontal relation indicated by the broken lines at bodily about the fixed supporting -axis,.22"into Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustratvingthe counter-balancing action of the two naledbeneath the lower, blanket frame andoperated'by a handleM to engage the hooks .over lugs or pins IS on the ends .of the top, glass frame ll.

Suction is applied to the lower frame through a flexible hose l6 controlled by a valve ll, Fig. 2. The two cooperating frames are separably and rotatably mounted in a base structure shown as vertical position such as indicated in broken lines at the center in Fig. 3, either closed together or separated. Further, they-may. be completely re.-

versed in such relationtobring theblanket'fframe such as indicated-at 3|, Figs. 2",and3,.1may1jbe provided on the supportinglframe ,toprejv'ent the frames from swinging ineitherdirectionibeyond a substantially vertical position.

The parallel connectinglinkageaffords i n ti mate, compact and. close fitting ..engagement between the two frames and-between the negative and printing plate elements, and this may be effected with a lighter. constructionthan heretofore required. The framesareq'uicklyiand easily shiftedfrom open to closedorelation.andZviee versa, and they are as easilyro'tated onthe main pivotal axis :to bring either frame to the top-for to the bottom or to locate-the .frames upright or in various inclined-positions. Whilepref erably oneframe will substantially counter balance: the other, as a practical matter the uppenglassfrarne may slightly over-balance the lower, blaniiet frame so as to apply a normaltendency to hold the frames closed together.

The principle disclosed of an integral counterbalance system, free of connecting springs, weights or the like, may be modified in various ways. For example, the relative movement of the two frames may be eccentric, instead of concentric, by using connecting arms or links of different lengths so that in opening, one frame will assume an angular relation to the other frame.

Such a possibility is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, where one set of the connecting links 23a is made shorter than the companion set of connectin links 24a, so that in opening, the upper frame I will fulcrum about the upper pivot 25a of the shorter link, in addition to the lateral ofisetting movement, so as to rise to more or less of an upstanding position when fully separated from the lower frame. By varying the relative lengths and arrangement of the shorter and longer links, various combinations of movements can be effected.

Also, in shifting from the inner, substantially parallel relation, Fig. 6, to the non-parallel relation shown in Fig. '7, some allowance must be made for this change between the pivot centers 29a, 30a, at the ends of the rotary supporting arms 2 l a. This is accomplished in the illustration by longitudinally slotting the ends of the arms Zla at 32 to slidingly accommodate the pivot pins 29a for the shorter links 23a.

Other variations in relative, non-parallel movements may be accomplished by having the opposite end or arms of the pivoted supporting bars Zia of different length, substantially as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.

The construction last described, where the relative movement of the frames in opening is shifted from parallel to non-parallel action, is of particular value where operating space is limited and there is not room enough to separate the frames to the full longitudinally offset relation illustrated in Fig. 3.

Since the bars operate substantially in balance, the supporting base structure may be relatively light, as indicated, enabling a large size printing frame to be made up light enough to be readily portable.

The entire structure, because of its simplicity and few parts, can be produced at relatively low cost.

As an aid to maintaining the frames in properly controlled relation at all times, the pivots at the ends of the frames, such as 25, 25a and 28, 28a, may be in the form of torque tubes extending through end portions of the frames and rigidly connected with the links 23, 23a and 24, 2411, at opposite ends of the same.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-balancing, reversible vacuum printing frame comprising a base structure, reversible supporting bars pivoted intermediate their ends in opposed, spaced relation, at opposite ends of said base structure, companion glass and blanket frames adapted and arranged one to substantially counter-balance the other, substantially parallel links pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on the opposite ends of said supporting bars and said links pivotally connected at their opposite ends with the companion glass and blanket frames, respectively, and whereby said glass and blanket frames may be separated in counterbalancing relation by rotative movement of said links on their intermediate pivots on the ends of the supporting bars and said frames may be re- 4 versed to bring either the glass or the blanket frame to the top by rotation of said supporting bars on their intermediate pivots on the base structure.

2. A self-balancing, reversible vacuum printing frame comprising a base structure, reversible supporting bars pivoted intermediate their ends in opposed, spaced relation, at opposite ends of said base structure, companion glass and blanket frames adapted and arranged one to substantially counter-balance the other, substantially parallel links pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on the opposite ends of said supporting bars and said links pivotally connected at their opposite ends with the companion glass and blanket frames, respectively, and whereby said glass and blanket frames may be separated in counterbalancing relation by rotative movement of said links on their intermediate pivots on the ends of the supporting bars and said frames may be reversed to bring either the glass or the blanket frame to the top by rotation of said supporting bars on their intermediate pivots on the base structure, and the links connecting opposite ends of said two frames being of substantially equal length and operating in parallel relation in the separation of the frames to thereby maintain said frames in substantially parallel relation in variously opened positions of the same.

3. A self-balancing, reversible vacuum printing frame comprising a base structure, reversible supporting bars pivoted intermediate their ends in opposed, spaced relation, at opposite ends of said base structure, companion glass and blanket frames adapted and arranged one to substantially counter-balance the other, substantially parallel links pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on the opposite ends of said supporting bars and said links pivotally connected at their opposite ends with the companion glass and blanket frames, respectively, and whereby said glass and blanket frames may be separated in counterbalancing relation by rotative movement of said links on their intermediate pivots on the ends of the supporting bars and said frames may be reversed to bring either the glass or the blanket frame to the top by rotation of said supporting bars on their intermediate pivots on the base structure, and the links at each end of the frames being of different length and thereby arranged to shift the frames from parallel to non-parallel relation in the separating movements of the frames.

BERNARD R. HALPERN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,151,477 Knudsen Aug. 24, 1905 1,315,882 Sweigard Sept. 9, 1919 2,117,051 Anderson May 10, 1938 2,257,581 Ulsheimer Sept. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 433,635 Germany Sept; 9, 1926 468,190 Germany Nov. 7, 1928 519,593 Germany Mar. 9, 1931

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